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Giants Move Tommy La Stella To 60-Day IL, Claim Trevor Hildenberger

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The Giants have moved infielder Tommy La Stella to the 60-day injured list and claimed right-handed reliever Trevor Hildenberger from the Mets, Maria Guardado of MLB.com was among those to report. San Francisco subsequently optioned Hildenberger to Triple-A Sacramento.

La Stella went on the 10-day IL with a left hamstring strain on May 4, and Tuesday’s switch to the 60-day version means he won’t return until at least July. That’s obviously less-than-ideal news for him and the Giants, who signed La Stella to a three-year, $18.75MM contact in free agency. The 32-year-old hit a disappointing .235/.297/.353 with one home run in 75 plate appearances before suffering his injury. The Giants have relied on Wilmer Flores and Mauricio Dubon at the keystone in La Stella’s place, but they should soon reinstate Donovan Solano, who has been on the IL with a calf strain since April 22.

Hildenberger, 30, threw just 2 1/3 innings with the Mets this year before they designated him for assignment last weekend. Also a former Twin, Hildenberger has pitched to a 5.52 ERA (with a much more encouraging 3.60 SIERA) and recorded a 22.5 percent strikeout rate, a 7.1 percent walk rate and a 48.4 percent groundball rate over 133 2/3 frames in the bigs.

Mets Prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

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The Mets’ injury woes continued this week, as the team announced Tuesday that top outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong will undergo surgery on his right shoulder “for a GLAD lesion (glenoid labral articular disruption).” Crow-Armstrong, according to the Mets’ press release, underwent an MRI this week, which “revealed a tear of the labrum as well as injury to the articular cartilage of the shoulder.”

The 19-year-old Crow-Armstrong wouldn’t have been a viable option for the Mets’ banged-up outfield in 2021 anyway, but it’s nevertheless a notable setback to the 2020 first-round pick’s development. He appeared in six games of Class-A ball in 2021, going 10-for-24 with a pair of doubles to begin his professional career. That limited sample will now be the only experience he gets under his belt for the 2021 season. The Mets have yet to announce a formal timeline on his recovery, but a surgery of this nature surely won’t be something from which he can return in just a few months’ time.

Crow-Armstrong becomes the second high-profile Mets prospect now slated for major surgery, joining 2019 draftee Matt Allan, who is out for the year due to Tommy John surgery. Both players rank among the Mets’ top six farmhands on the organizational rankings at Baseball America, MLB.com and FanGraphs.

Kevin Pillar Diagnosed With Multiple Nasal Fractures

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Mets outfielder Kevin Pillar has been diagnosed with multiple nasal fractures after being struck in the face by a fastball from Braves right-hander Jacob Webb, per a club announcement. He’ll meet with a specialist to determine the next steps in his treatment.

It was a grisly scene in last night’s Mets/Braves game, for those who didn’t see. An errant fastball from Webb rode up and in on Pillar, striking him flush on the nose and dropping the veteran outfielder in a heap. Pillar was eventually able to walk off the field under his own power, and fans were surely relieved all the more when Pillar tweeted later in the evening: “Thanks to everyone that has reached out! Scary moment but I’m doing fine!”

At this point, there’s no clearly defined timeline for when Pillar might return. If (or when) Pillar is ultimately placed on the injured list, he’ll be added to a staggering number of outfielders on the IL for the Mets. Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo and Albert Almora Jr. are all on the 10-day IL at the moment, as are infielders/outfielders Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis. Jose Martinez, meanwhile, is on the 60-day IL.

With that group sidelined, the Mets have Dominic Smith, Khalil Lee and Johneshwy Fargas on the big league roster, in addition to infield/outfield options Jose Peraza and Jake Hager. The Mets have some other outfield options in Triple-A, including former big leaguers Mallex Smith, Brandon Drury and Mason Williams (none are on the 40-man roster), but their depth is obviously being pushed to its limits.

It’s not at all a surprise to see MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweet that the Mets are exploring outfield additions from outside the organization, but the trade market typically doesn’t get started this early in the season. There have at least been a few recent DFAs who could be claimed or acquired to simply add some depth; Pittsburgh designated Troy Stokes Jr. for assignment, while veteran Jon Jay was designated by the Angels over the weekend. Jay’s transactions log at MLB.com indicates that he cleared waivers, but he has the service time to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency.

Latest On Noah Syndergaard

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Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard is about to take a notable step in his recovery from March 2020 Tommy John surgery. The hard-throwing 28-year-old will begin a minor league rehab assignment at the Low-A level on Wednesday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.

The Mets have gone the past season-plus without Syndergaard, who was among the game’s most valuable starters before he went under the knife. Syndergaard has pitched to a terrific 3.31 ERA/3.37 SIERA with above-average strikeout and walk percentages of 26.4 and 5.6, respectively, across 716 innings in the majors. He’s now in his final year of team control, making this season all the more crucial for him.

For their part, the Mets have designs on winning the National League East – a division they lead by a half-game – so Syndergaard (and fellow righty Carlos Carrasco, who has been out with all year with a hamstring strain) will be a key reinforcement when he’s ready to come back. Jacob deGrom has continued to dominate as the leader of the Mets’ rotation this year, though he’s now on the IL with tightness in his right side. Marcus Stroman and Taijuan Walker have served as more-than-capable complements to deGrom, but a healthy Syndergaard would nonetheless be a welcome in-season addition for New York.

Mets Place Michael Conforto, Jeff McNeil On Injured List

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3:03pm: The Mets have announced the moves, Healey tweets . They also transferred Lugo to the 60-day IL, meaning he won’t return before May 31.

12:01PM: Khalil Lee will be called up from Triple-A along with Fargas, according to Newsday’s Tim Healey (via Twitter).

11:31AM: The Mets will place both Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil on the 10-day injured list due to hamstring injuries, Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News reports (Twitter link).  Outfield prospect Johneshwy Fargas will be called up from Triple-A to fill one of the spots on the active roster.

The news isn’t a surprise, as both Conforto and McNeil left yesterday’s game due to injury — Conforto with tightness in his right hamstring, and McNeil with a similar issue in his left hamstring.  McNeil already missed a couple of games earlier this week due to cramping problems, and he stated after yesterday’s game that his latest hamstring problem was related those previous cramps.

Usually two of the Mets’ more consistent offensive performers, both Conforto (.230/.356/.336 in 135 PA) and McNeil (.242/.336/.374 in 113 PA) have been pretty average thus far in 2021.  Conforto’s performance has been under a particular microscope, as he is scheduled to hit free agency this winter and extension talks with the Mets didn’t seem to gain much traction.

While Conforto and McNeil hadn’t been hitting like their usual selves, they at least represented two active regulars on a Mets team that now has 12 players on the injured list.  J.D. Davis and Seth Lugo could both soon be starting rehab assignments and ace right-hander Jacob deGrom could be back as early as Friday, but in the near term, the Mets are still very short-handed.

The outfield is a particular issue, with Dominic Smith and Kevin Pillar holding down the fort in left and center field, while converted infielders Jake Hager and Jose Peraza aren’t reliable fill-in options for Conforto.  This opens the door for Fargas, a full-time outfielder who is now set to make his MLB debut after eight minor league seasons.

An 11th-round pick for the Giants in the 2013 draft, Fargas spent much of his career in San Francisco’s farm system before signing with the Mets in the 2019-20 offseason.  The 26-year-old is known to have a solid glove (capable of playing all three outfield positions) and some notable speed, with 243 stolen bases in 344 attempts during his minor league career.  Fargas has hit .255/.331/.343 over 2289 plate appearances in the minors, and hadn’t reached Triple-A prior to this season.

Peraza and Hager can likely handle McNeil’s duties at second base until Davis returns, which will give the infield some breathing room as Jonathan Villar can then move from third base to factor into the second base picture.  Given this infield depth on hand, the Mets could opt to call up another outfielder to fill the other roster hole.  Outfielder Khalil Lee could be a candidate for another promotion, as he was recently called up and sent back down to Triple-A without making an appearance in any big league games.

Mets Notes: Conforto, Nimmo, deGrom

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The Mets had a rough end to their seven-game winning streak in Tampa Bay this weekend. They were handed a sweep by the Rays. They now limp into a high-stakes week of action against the Braves and Marlins facing the potential loss of more key regulars. Michael Conforto, in particular, appears heading to the injured list with a hamstring injury, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network (via Twitter). Conforto (along with Jeff McNeil) left yesterday’s game due to injury.

Brandon Nimmo, unfortunately, won’t be the answer. The Mets’ injured centerfielder is abandoning his rehab assignment and opting for further rest until he is without pain in his finger, per Tim Healey of Newsday. Nimmo hasn’t appeared in a game since May 2nd.

The Mets could use him now more than ever, especially considering his hot start. Nimmo had raked to the tune of a .318/.430/.439 triple slash line across his first 80 plate appearances. With Albert Almora also on the injured list, the Mets will turn to Jake Hager, Jose Peraza and, perhaps eventually, prospect Khalil Lee to fill in. Super-sub Jonathan Villar is already in a regular role replacing injured regular J.D. Davis at the hot corner.

The good news is that Jacob deGrom could be back in time to start Friday’s ballgame, per Bill Ladson of MLB.com. He may still go on a rehab assignment, however, pending the results of a bullpen session on Tuesday. Friday against the Marlins is the earliest Mets fans will see their all-world ace back on the hill.

Michael Conforto, Jeff McNeil Leave Mets’ Game With Injuries

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8:15PM: Conforto and McNeil will both receive MRIs, manager Luis Rojas told Deesha Thosar of The New York Daily News and other reporters.  According to Thosar, Rojas’ comments seemed to imply that Conforto’s injury could be of greater concern than McNeil’s problem.  McNeil said his injury was a “carry over” from the cramping issues that recently sidelined him for a couple of games.

12:58PM: Mets outfielder Michael Conforto left this afternoon’s game against the Rays in the top of the first inning after pulling up lame while running to first base, Tim Healey of Newsday was among those to note (Twitter link). Conforto is dealing with right hamstring tightness, the Mets announced (via Mike Puma of the New York Post). Jake Hager replaced him in right field. Additionally, second baseman Jeff McNeil departed in the second inning with left hamstring tightness. McNeil, who was serving as the designated hitter in today’s interleague contest, was replaced at the position by catcher Patrick Mazeika.

It’s too early to know if either player is in danger of missing extended time. If Conforto winds up having to sit out, it’d be an especially difficult blow to a Mets outfield that’s already without Brandon Nimmo and depth option Albert Almora Jr. Nimmo, who has been out since May 3 with a left index finger contusion, was sent for further treatment due to continued pain, manager Luis Rojas told reporters (including Healey and Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News) this morning.

Hager has almost exclusively worked as an infielder in the minors, making him a more natural potential replacement for McNeil. Utilityman José Peraza has spent some more time on the grass, but he’s also more of an infielder by trade. If Conforto winds up missing time, the Mets could turn to prospect Khalil Lee, who was recently optioned to Triple-A Syracuse after receiving his first big league call earlier in the week. If McNeil has to miss some games, non-roster veteran Brandon Drury could be an option, although he’s off to a poor start in Syracuse and would need to be added to the 40-man roster.

Conforto is hitting .232/.358/.339 over his first 134 plate appearances this season. That marks a downturn in production for the impending free agent, who slashed a robust .274/.376/.499 between 2019-20. McNeil is also having a bit of a down year relative to his past level of production, hitting .242/.336/.374 in 113 trips to the plate.

East Notes: Means, Mets, Yankees, Strasburg

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The Mets made an attempt to acquire left-hander John Means from the Orioles during the offseason, but Baltimore rebuffed New York, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network. The Mets surely weren’t alone in trying to acquire Means, who’s making a minimal salary this year and still has three years of arbitration control remaining. Means proved himself as a capable mid- to back-of-the-rotation starter from 2019-20, but he has taken his game to an entirely different level this season. The 28-year-old has pitched to a microscopic 1.21 ERA with impressive strikeout and walk percentages of 28.0 and 5.3, respectively, over 52 innings. This has been a May to remember for Means, who no-hit the Mariners on the 5th and then tossed six scoreless innings against the team that wanted him, the Mets, this past Tuesday.

Here’s more on the Mets and a couple other East Coast clubs:

  • The Yankees announced Friday that designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is dealing with tightness in his left quad. The issue sidelined Stanton on Friday, and he’s now “day to day, hopefully nothing more than that,” manager Aaron Boone told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com and other reporters. Stanton endured a pair of injury-ruined seasons from 2019-20, in which he played in 41 of a possible 222 games, but has mostly stayed healthy this year. The 31-year-old slugger has been in excellent form with a .282/.347/.534 line and nine home runs in 144 plate appearances.
  • Sticking with the Yankees, right-hander Luis Severino is at the “start of spring training mode” as he works his way back from February 2020 Tommy John surgery, Boone said Friday (via Marly Rivera of ESPN). Severino threw 23 pitches of live batting practice Friday and averaged between 96 and 97 mph. The 27-year-old was one of the game’s elite starters from 2017-18, leading the Yankees to sign him to a four-year, $40MM extension, though he totaled only 12 innings in 2019 as a result of shoulder problems and hasn’t pitched since. To its credit, New York’s rotation has done well this year without Severino; nevertheless, the team will surely be glad to welcome him back if he’s healthy.
  • Nationals righty Stephen Strasburg will make a Triple-A rehab start on Sunday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com tweets. Manager Dave Martinez said the hope is that Strasburg will go five innings and throw 75 to 80 pitches. Washington has barely gotten anything in 2021 from Strasburg, who’s in the second season of a seven-year, $245MM contract, as a result of shoulder inflammation. This is the second straight injury-limited year for the former World Series MVP, who has totaled just 15 innings since 2020.
  • Mets third baseman J.D. Davis and reliever Seth Lugo will soon begin rehab assignments at the Triple-A level, Bill Ladson of MLB.com writes. While the Mets hoped Davis would exit the 10-day injured list Saturday, he’s still not ready to come back since suffering a left hand sprain on May 1. The club has gone all season without Lugo, who underwent surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow in February. Lugo started in seven of 16 appearances last season, but he’ll return to a relief role when he rejoins the Mets, per manager Luis Rojas.

Mets Select Jake Hager, Designate Trevor Hildenberger

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The Mets have selected the contract of infielder Jake Hager and designated right-handed reliever Trevor Hildenberger for assignment, according to Deesha Thosar of the New York Daily News. The team also optioned outfielder Khalil Lee to Triple-A Syracuse.

Hager was the 32nd overall pick of the Rays back in 2011, but he hasn’t played in the majors to this point. The 28-year-old has seen action in Triple-A ball in five seasons, including this one, and batted .243/.291/.373 with 22 home runs in 1,112 plate appearances at that level. He got off to a sizzling start in the minors this year en route to a promotion, slashing .405/.436/.703 with three home runs in 39 PA as a member of the Syracuse club.

Hildenberger, 30, joined the Mets in the offseason on a minor league contract. They promoted the former Twin in early April, but opposing offenses scored four runs off him on on three hits and three walks over 2 1/3 innings and two appearances. That continued a difficult run in the majors for Hildenberger, who has pitched to a 5.52 ERA in 133 2/3 frames. The Mets will have a week to trade, release or pass him through waivers.

Mets Promote Khalil Lee, Place Albert Almora On Injured List

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The Mets announced Wednesday that they’ve placed outfielder Albert Almora Jr. on the injured list with a shoulder contusion and promoted outfield prospect Khalil Lee for what will be his Major League debut. Almora sustained the injury on a full-sprint collision with the center field wall on what was very nearly a brilliant catch against the Orioles last night (video link). Almora briefly caught what was a deep drive off the bat of Austin Hays before the impact knocked the ball loose and resulted in a triple. He left the game for testing, and the fact that he escaped with what appears to be a relatively minor injury is welcome news.

In place of Almora, the Mets will turn to the 22-year-old Lee — a 2016 third-round pick by the Royals who ranked as one of the better prospects in the Kansas City organization before coming to the Mets by way of the three-team Andrew Benintendi trade over the winter. Lee opened the season in Triple-A but will get his first call to the big leagues after a six-game stint in Syracuse that saw him bat .250/.478/.313 in a small sample of 23 plate appearances.

Entering the season, Lee was generally regarded among the Mets’ ten best farmhands, ranking seventh at MLB.com, eighth at FanGraphs and ninth at Baseball America. Scouting reports on Lee praise his plus arm, above-average raw power and above-average speed, but his tools have been counteracted to an extent by his penchant for striking out. Lee has punched out in just over 28 percent of his professional plate appearances, though he’s also walked in nearly 12 percent of them. He can handle all three outfield positions and has a 53-steal campaign in 2019 under his belt, although both BA and FanGraphs note that’s more a product of his aggression on the bases than blistering raw speed.

Lee’s initial call to the big leagues comes at a time when the Mets have both Almora and Brandon Nimmo on the injured list, which should create some opportunities to get him into the lineup. He may not have an immediate path to a roster spot once the team is back up to full strength, but Mets fans will get their first look at a player who could factor into the team’s plans for the next several years at some point in the near future. Lee isn’t in the starting lineup today — Dominic Smith, Kevin Pillar and Michael Conforto are manning the outfield — but is available off the bench and figures to get into a game before too long.

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